7
The next day was Saturday, and I had an appointment with Oliver. After our meeting, Oliver dropped me off at home. We ran into Liam waiting at the front gate. A pile of cigarette butts lay at his feet.
Seeing me, he rushed over, grabbing my shoulders with a death grip, his voice filled with intense hatred. “Chloe! How *dare* you! You secretly aborted my child! If the netizens hadn’t dug it up, would you have ever let me know, you bitch?!”
“That was *my child too! You had no right to take his life, Chloe! You really are as cold–blooded and malicious as ever!”
I broke free of his grasp, glaring at him coldly. “Did a rabid dog bite you?”
Liam finally noticed Oliver beside me and sneered. “Oh, so you’ve already found your next fling? Fine, you just want a divorce, right? Are the papers ready? I’ll sign them now!”
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I couldn’t have been happier. I pulled out the divorce papers Oliver had prepared and handed them to him. “Perfect. A clean break, no lingering mess.”
Liam’s hand, holding the pen, paused for a moment. He subtly glanced at my lower abdomen, then, signing, said in a hoarse voice, “Chloe, your heart is too cruel.””
I found it hilarious. It was the pot calling the kettle black.
The divorce went incredibly smoothly. Liam dejectedly prepared to leave, but I called out to him. “Liam, do you want to know when the baby was gone?”
He looked at me confusedly. I spoke clearly, word for word. “That day at the party, when Ashley pretended to fall after realizing I was pregnant, and you pushed me away so hard.”
“The doctor said I was about ten weeks pregnant then, the most vulnerable time to outside stimuli.”
Liam’s face went completely pale, frozen like a crashed computer. I twisted the knife further. “It was you, for Ashley, who personally killed your own child.”
“Remember how much blood I lost, Liam? I hope for the rest of your life, you dream of that blood every single night.”
My phone was once again bombarded with messages. This time, countless netizens were apologizing to me, telling me to let go of the past and run far away from the scumbag. Brooke called too, excitedly saying, “When Ashley was live streaming and showing off her dreamy wedding plans, Liam burst in and went crazy, and they even got into a fight. Netizens watched the drama unfold and called the police, and they both ended up at the precinct. What a show!”
Oliver, beside her, was trying to calm her down.
Liam, as CEO, causing such a scene with his own artist, quickly became a trending topic. Labels like ‘cheater,‘ ‘wife–beater,‘ and ‘abusive maniac‘ were plastered all over both of them. For Liam’s company, it was a devastating blow. Investors pulled out, advertisers terminated contracts, and stock prices plummeted.
Liam was physically and emotionally drained after leaving the precinct. By the time we met again, I had long since moved into my new home. He had lost a lot of weight, his clothes hanging emptily on his frame. Although he looked like he’d tried to tidy himself up, his overall demeanor was utterly bleak.
He held a bouquet of red roses, kneeling on one knee before me. “Chloe, I’ve thought a lot about it. I was foolish and ungrateful before. Now, the company has terminated Ashley’s contract. She and I will never have anything to do with each other again.”
“From now on, I’ll love you and only you. We’ll have two adorable babies and live our small lives together.”
“I promise I’ll turn over a new leaf, Chloe. Forgive me, please, give me another chance?”
When Liam first started his company, he also proposed to me like this, on one knee. I didn’t know then that he just wanted a safe harbor to escape the immense pressure of his career and future, and I just happened to love him completely and devotedly. Later, when his career flourished, he must have regretted his temporary weakness, which was why he desperately sought newness outside.
Perhaps he did have a bit of genuine feeling for me, but as time flowed, I was no longer the person I used to be. I wouldn’t be moved by that sliver of sincerity that even a dog wouldn’t find enough to fill its teeth.
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I turned my head to Sam, who was filming with his phone, and said coldly, “So now I’m just a tool for you to salvage your company’s image? Liam, can’t you live without exploiting women?”
“We’re divorced. Stop disgusting me.”
I turned to leave, but Liam reached out and grabbed my sleeve. Still on his knees, his face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, pleading. “Chloe, I’m desperate. And I truly don’t want to lose you. Don’t leave me, please.”
I curtly brushed his hand away, stating firmly, “Take your hand off me. You’re disgusting.”
He looked at my expression of disgust, his lips moving, but in the end, he just gave a self–deprecating tug at the corner of his mouth and slowly got up and left.
Liam’s personal misconduct led to significant losses for the company. All his shares were sold to cover the losses, and he was kicked off the board of directors. Meanwhile, I excelled at my new company and was quickly made permanent.
Brooke, with Oliver in tow, found a place to celebrate my new beginning. As soon as we met, she mysteriously handed me her phone. “Check out this joke. My ex–husband is live streaming.”
Liam was in our old home, surrounded by empty liquor bottles, sitting on the carpet, his eyes glazed, face flushed. The chat was flying with messages:
“Scumbag and homewrecker, why don’t they just lock themselves together forever?”
“He caused his wife to miscarry for his mistress, isn’t he afraid of karma?!”
“Did you ever really love her? How dare you play the victim online?”
Liam had been saying “The netizens are right” all along, but when he saw that comment, he fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “I never understood why I’d hide when I went out, why I subconsciously didn’t want her to know, why I’d do anything to cover it up if she found out.”
“Now I know. Because I was scared. Scared she would leave me.”
The chat flooded with messages:
“So pathetic.”
“Just die, you trash.”
In the middle, one comment stood out: “Are you going to perform a suicide attempt today? I’m waiting with my data on.”
I pulled my gaze from the screen. Brooke turned off her phone, clucking her tongue. “He’s truly beyond pathetic.”
“And Ashley, I heard no company wants to sign her now. And someone justly clawed her face when she was out walking. Don’t know if it’ll leave a scar.”
I smiled without speaking. The past was behind me. I truly didn’t care anymore. Oliver had a bottle of red wine opened, his warm gaze falling on Brooke. “Let’s not talk about trash anymore. Today’s theme is celebrating Chloe. Don’t let them
ruin the mood.”
I raised my glass, smiling. “Yes, to me, to all of us. To shedding the last vestiges of winter and soaring into spring.”
